The value of doing nothing

Posted byAlive and TrekkingPosted inContemplations, Destinations, New Zealand, TravelTags:, , , , , , , , ,

“Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing”

– Winnie the Pooh –

I’m reflecting on a busy week at work. I love my job and I secretly love being busy at times too. I’ve been accomplishing things, been productive and gotten in a flow. And it feels rewarding. People are always on the go, always available for phone calls, always connected to the internet, social media, the world. With so many stimuli, it can be overwhelming. I think it’s important to keep a healthy balance between action and relaxation, between ‘go, go, go’ and ‘not right now’, between being plugged in and being unplugged.

Nobody can go at a fast pace all the time, the whole time. I certainly can’t. I need to spend my energy well, preserve it and replenish it. This is especially important for an introvert like myself. So last weekend, I first caught up on much needed sleep. With clean laundry drying and my groceries done, I’m sitting on the couch with my feet up, blogging away. I love it! And although I’m not doing nothing, the fact that I don’t have a thing to rush over feels so nice!

I’m definitely guilty of being always plugged in in my daily life. I keep in touch with my international friends through Whats App, I have my blog, Instagram and other social media. When I travel and I don’t have easy access to Wi-Fi I do feel like going through some detox in the beginning. I can check my phone all I want, but without internet on my phone, there won’t be any new messages until I connect to Wi-Fi. It feels uneasy at first, but after a while I welcome being unplugged.

Travelling has given me the gift of being able to do nothing. To stop the world and enjoy where I am. To not worry about deadlines and responsibilities, but love the moment I’m in. To finally watch that movie I haven’t had time for. To take out my camera and capture the world through a lens. To slow down my pace and explore. Even if it’s exploring doing nothing.

Do you agree with this ‘value of doing nothing’? Are you someone who always needs to do something? What do you do to unwind, unplug etc?

Published by Alive and Trekking

Dreamer. Adventurer. Traveller. Idealist. Nature. New Zealand, Nordic countries and the Arctic.

22 thoughts on “The value of doing nothing”

  1. Great piece and I am totally in agreement with all of this!! I definitely need time out (and quite often!), I need time on my own away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. And I need time to literally do nothing, to sit with my feet up, not moving sometimes. I also find that whilst travelling I try to disconnect as much as possible, to experience what I am seeing and doing. It can be difficult at first and the impulse to reach for your phone every 5 mins can take a while to disappear, but it’s so worth the effort!

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    1. Absolutely! People tend to forget to relax, to do nothing and to really soak up life around them. And glad I’m not the only one going through ‘phone checking withdrawal’! At first it’s so hard, but then it’s bliss…until we fall back to old habits 😛

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        1. Me too! Yesterday I spent the whole day watching a tv show I hadn’t had time to catch up with. It was pure bliss! I ignored the fact that it was a beautiful sunny day, haha!

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  3. Boy is this a good post. It is SO HARD for me to unplug. My mind is very fast-moving and it’s also always hungry – more reading, more writing, more knowledge, it wants it all! But if I don’t force myself to slow down once in awhile, I get worn out and sick! I finally made myself just sit on the couch and do nothing for 15 minutes every day. No phone, no reading, no games, no television. It is a struggle sometimes to get through that 15 minutes but I know how important it is. Also on weekends I stay away from social media and the news! 🙂

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    1. Thank you! At least you know it’s hard to unplug for you and you’ve found a way to deal with it! It’s not worth getting sick over or worn out by. So I’d say: good on you! Perhaps I need to unplug more on a daily basis. I’ve recently picked up crafting again, which helps slow down and unplug. No screens, just messy fingers covered in paint 😛

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